Love Professions
by jugglequeen
Summary: Tony and Angela have been dating for several weeks in secret. Eventually they share the new state of their relationship with everybody but don't foresee their friends' reaction. Both have to tolerate unexpected dissent.
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note:  
**_

**_I always thought that we, the viewers of WTB, never really got to hear what Tony and Angela particularly loved about each other. Okay, Angela told Dr. Bellows a bit and Tony gave us some hints during his talk to his father confessor in Brooklyn, but the rest we had to figure out on our own. So well, that's what I figured..._**

**_Again - all characters belong to ABC, I only borrowed them._**

_**Special thanks to 'stayathomemum' for proofreading and encouraging me!  
**_

**Part One: TONY - ANGELA**

After dating secretly for a few weeks, Tony and Angela had told their family and friends about their relationship. Whereas Mona, Sam and Jonathan were more than happy for them, their respective friends were not so sure about whether each of them had chosen the right person. Tony had cancelled a baseball game with his buddies because he had planned to take Angela out for date. And as he wasn't a person who wore his heart on his sleeve he had only casually called it "a date" but it hadn't passed unnoticed nonetheless. Angela had spread the news instantly to her two best friends on the phone and was so overjoyed that she hadn't realized the short silence her statement had caused on the other side of the telephone line. A few days later, both Tony and Angela had been invited separately to different locations. They were up to the first evening apart since they had become a couple, not knowing what the main topic of the evening would be ...

* * *

**TONY**

Tony was strolling through his old neighbourhood on his way to his once favorite bar. Well, "Marty's Melody Room" still was his favorite bar although he spent fewer and fewer evenings there, especially compared to the time he had lived in Brooklyn when it had been like a second home to him. He had worked as a fish truck driver, not really a dream job but enough to give his little family everything it needed. Once or twice a week he would meet his buddies at Marty's for a couple of beers, to play pool or to watch a baseball game. He had liked his life and everything was perfect until Marie had become sick and finally lost her battle against the merciless disease. He had managed to provide somehow for his little daughter after his wife's death but wanted her to grow up in a less rough environment. That was why he had decided to take this somewhat unusual job opportunity to work as a housekeeper in Connecticut, mainly because it had included room and board and would allow the two of them to live in a spacious house, away from the loud, dirty and sometimes even perilous city.

As Tony approached Marty's, he realized that he had consistently changed since he had moved to Connecticut. He wasn't the same man who had left Brooklyn seven years ago. He noticed it a bit more every time he returned to his old neighbourhood, because it always took him a few moments longer to feel at home. It had been like this at first in Fairfield; it had taken him some time then to feel at home after returning from Brooklyn. Only after several months he had stopped feeling like a guest in the house he was living in. But the neighbourhood in Fairfield which was so different from the one in Brooklyn, has had it's impact on Tony. First, he had mocked the people who seemed so snobbish and up-tight, so concerned about their well-painted picked fences and proper social graces that he sometimes had the feeling they refused to have fun because fun just wasn't classy enough. That had included his boss - a very attractive woman he noticed right away when he had first met her for the job interview - who had seemed to care only about her professional career without having any knowledge on how to enjoy life. But the longer he had lived in her house, the more he had begun to discover her sense of humor and inherent desire to take life less seriously. And so he had turned his world upside down and it was just the other way around now - Fairfield had become his home and he felt a bit like a misfit in his former quarter. He had undergone a slow but steady transformation and at its end he had finally dared to declare his love to the woman he secretly adored from the very first day he had laid his eyes on her.

Despite all the change, Tony was looking forward to seeing his Brooklyn buddies again. Vinnie had called him the other day and had invited him to meet with Philly, Tiny and himself at Marty's. Since dating Angela, he hadn't had much time for them because his thoughts were completely occupied by her and their new exciting relationship. Keeping it a secret had been fun and had given him the time he needed to adapt to the new situation, but he had also missed seeing his old pals. After weeks of romantic dinners, tightly embraced dancing, sweet whisperings and passionate nights he was finally ready for a boys' night out with a few beers, a good steak sandwich or pepperoni pizza and a nice chat about baseball.

He would have been surprised had he known his friends' number one topic of the evening ...

* * *

**ANGELA**

Angela stood in front of her closet still figuring out what to wear. Picking a dress would be a lot easier than lately, since this was going to be a night among women and she didn't have to bother about an outfit which would accentuate her feminine charms. Preparing for a date with Tony had left her running around in her bedroom like a headless chicken for hours until she was satisfied with her decision. She went for a light summer dress, comfortable flats and a matching purse.

She was very pleased when Wendy had invited her to join Isabelle and her for the ladies' night at the "Taco Loco". The last time they had been there was for Angela's birthday the year she had hired Tony. The evening had ended, after several margaritas at the Mexican restaurant and a flour fight in the kitchen, with Tony's and Angela's first kiss. She had to smile recollecting that particular night. It had been the first time she realized there was a certain chemistry between them that surpassed the usual employer-employee relationship. Since then, they had gone through almost seven years of ups and downs, finally taking the big step into romance and love. The last few years had been especially hard for Angela. She had to watch several women come and go in Tony's life and had feared more than once that eventually one of them would take him away from her - culminating in Tony's relationship to Kathleen. Although they hadn't made an outspoken commitment by that time she had felt like a wife betrayed by her husband. Up to this day, she couldn't understand why she had let him off the hook during their conversation in her study when she had told him she wanted them to "broaden our horizons". Following that exchange she had been angry with herself for practically pushing Tony into Kathleen's arms that day. It had been torture to watch them getting closer and closer, kissing on _her_ couch in _her_ house and finally having to stand by when Kathleen had introduced Tony to her father. That had scared her to death. What if he decided to marry her? How was she supposed to carry on with her life without him? How could she ever forgive herself for not confiding in him? These questions had been tormenting her mind day and night. When Tony had finally ended this relationship she had been so relieved and had made a secret promise to herself: she would be more straightforward from now on and would never again just stand on the sidelines. So when the next seduction had come around the corner in the person of Christine, a young, attractive legislative aid in Washington, D.C., Angela had taken matters in her own hands and had shown Christine as well as Tony her anticipation of the future - with Christine she had been very blunt, with Tony a bit more subtle.

The last weeks had been a complete bliss for Angela. After years of unfulfilled feelings for Tony she had been tired of only taking baby steps towards a romantic relationship, so she had pushed her luck, had put all her insecurities aside and had confessed her true feelings to him. Of course she had been terrified he would reject her again, as he hadn't graduated yet - a condition he once had imposed on himself before being able to decide about the future of their relationship. But she had been so exhausted from all the yearning for Tony as her lover instead of Tony as her best friend that she had taken that risk. And it had paid off! They had needed a few days to adapt to the new, unfamiliar situation and had chosen to keep it a secret to have the privacy to enjoy their love affair undisturbed. And they did! All the things she had been daydreaming about had become a reality and she felt as carefree and buoyant as hardly ever before in her life. After a few weeks, they had felt secure enough to share their happiness with others and she was looking forward to telling her friends everything about her wonderful state of mind.

Had she only known that her friends weren't too convinced that her love affair was indeed that wonderful ...

* * *

**TONY**

Two more blocks and Tony would see his buddies again, a casual night ahead of him. He felt blithe and thought that life couldn't be any better.

* * *

**ANGELA**

Angela pulled into the parking lot at the Taco Loco and was looking for a spot to park her Jaguar. Life was great and she was about to share with her two best friends how great it was.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part Two: THE BUDDIES - THE LADIES**

**Chapter One**

After weeks of spending every possible minute together, Tony and Angela were off for a separate evening with their friends. Tony was on his way to meet his Brooklyn buddies in Marty's Melody Room for a couple of beers and Angela was looking forward to a ladies' night at the Taco Loco with her best female friends.

* * *

**THE BUDDIES**

Vinnie, Philly and Tiny met half an hour before Tony was supposed to arrive at Marty's. They wanted to hash out how to address the sensitive issue. Being men, they were not very adept talking about emotional stuff, let alone each other's love lives. Their usual topics would be baseball, poker and ... women, sure, but women from another view. Philly would brag about his latest squeeze, Tiny would grumble about the hard time his wife and kids were giving him once again, and Vinnie would try to urge Tony into a double date with a gorgeous pair of twins. But it had been a long time since they were talking seriously with Tony about his emotional state and that had been after Marie's death when they had been very worried about him. Tony had been devastated and barely able to make it through the day. If he hadn't been responsible for his little girl, he might have given up. He had been vulnerable, weak and crestfallen and nothing had reminded his friends of the self-assured, strong and always cheerful man they used to know. Still, it had taken them some effort to overcome their inhibitions and talk to him about his grief. But eventually, after he had been retreating for weeks, they had found out how to help him. He needed distraction and they had had been willing to provide it: taking him to baseball games, hanging out at Marty's, playing pool or having dinner at Mrs. Rossini's.

Well, they were worried about him now too, so they would have to put aside their inhibitions once more ...

"Hey, Marty, I need a nice, cool beer!" Tiny shouted through the bar upon entering. He saw Vinnie and Philly sitting at their usual table, putting their heads together. "Hi Guys!" he greeted them.

"Hey, Tiny. Too late, as usual." Philly said, looking at him reproachfully. "I told you it's important, so couldn't you be on time just once?"

"Gimme a break! I'm a family man and have some obligations here." Tiny defended himself.

"All right, all right. Forget it! Tony will be here any minute. So, how are we gonna touch on our topic?" Vinnie tried to focus on the reason they had arranged this meeting after all.

"Why not ask him?" Tiny proposed frankly.

"Marvellous idea, Tiny! Would you like to do that?" Vinnie asked him with a mocking ring to his voice, puckering his lips. "Have you already made up your mind about how to word a nice question? I don't think Tony's gonna appreciate us meddling in his personal affairs."

"What do you mean 'meddling in his affairs'? We're his friends, right? We're supposed to tell him when we're not convinced he has chosen the right women, aren't we?" Vinnie tried to convince himself.

"Yeah, you're right. But it won't be easy to get him to talk with us about his fling." Philly pointed out.

"I don't think it's a 'fling'. As well as I know Tony, he is pretty serious about this relationship. He wouldn't have told us if it was just a short, little affair." Vinnie stated and the others knew he was right. They all had a gulp of beer and didn't know what else to say. Tiny just took a deep breath to propose something when the door opened and Tony stood in the door frame, spotting them at their favourite table in the corner.

"Hi Guys! Good to see you again! It's been a while. How is everyone? Marty, would you pour me a nice beer, please?!" After all the champagne and wine he had been drinking lately, he was really up for a refreshing beer. "Have you already ordered some food? I'm starving! What am I gonna treat myself to tonight? Let's see ... Pizza? Burger? Steak sandwich?"

It was obvious that he was in a good mood. His friends looked at each other and waited for the right moment to speak to Tony about his current relationship.

* * *

**THE LADIES**

Wendy and Isabelle had chosen the Taco Loco for their evening with Angela because on ladies' night they served a very good margarita and Angela loved margaritas. They knew that it would be easier to get her to tell them everything about her love affair with Tony if she had a little alcohol in her system. Both had been friends of Angela's for ages. They had seen the failure of her first marriage and it hadn't been easy to clean up the mess Michael left behind. She had felt rejected and lost and it had preyed on her mind that her husband had chosen to live with wild animals instead of her. She had spent weeks moping around the house and if she hadn't had a toddler to care for she probably would've never come out of her shell again. In the following years, they had tried more than once to hook her up with some good-looking, successful and affluent business man but she had always been very cautious to whom she would give her heart. When they had found out that Angela had hired a man as a housekeeper they weren't sure whether it was such a good idea. As expected, gossip had started right away as the entire neighbourhood couldn't imagine a man and a woman living platonically in the same house. First, they hadn't believed her either when she had kept on professing that she was not sleeping with him. Only when she had insisted vehemently they had started to buy it. Of course they had noticed the chemistry between them and had asked Angela more than once about it, but she would only smile - sometimes sweetly, sometimes sourly. Finally, a few days ago, she had called them both and had told them with a wavering voice that Tony and she finally were a couple.

Like Tony's friends, Wendy and Isabelle had met a littler earlier to forge out a plan about how to talk to Angela. The last thing they wanted was to spoil her happiness but they also felt obliged to let her know about their concerns. What else were best friends for?

"Hello, my Dear!" Isabelle kissed her friend on the cheek, waved at the waiter to bring her a glass of Chardonnay and took a seat at the nice little table that had been reserved for them. "I'm sorry I'm a bit late but we had this emergency operation which took a little longer than expected."

Wendy rolled her eyes at the oh so familiar excuse. "Well, Isabelle, always in charge, I know." she said with slight sarcasm in her voice but then raised her glass to propose a toast. "To our conversation with Angela. I hope it'll turn out well and she won't be mad at us. I'm sure she isn't suspecting anything like that."

"We wait until she had her second margarita. That will loosen her up! And then we just ask her what her plans are, whether it's an affair or a serious relationship." Isabelle proposed.

"Affair? Are you serious? Angela and an affair? No, no, I think she's pretty serious and we have to talk her out of this!" Wendy sighed thinking of the turn their conversation might take. She took another sip of wine to soothe her nerves and just inhaled deeply to slow down her pulse, when she felt a slight tap on her shoulder. Angela was standing right behind her ... radiant with happiness.

"Hi you two! I'm so glad to see you. Thanks for inviting me tonight. Ladies' night, huh? Are they still having these delicious margaritas?" Angela was in the best mood.

Wendy and Isabelle looked at each other winking. At least this part of the plan seemed to work.

* * *

**THE BUDDIES**

Tony had just ordered the second round of beers when Vinnie built up all his courage to touch the topic they were all so eager to discuss with him.

"So, Tony, how's life in Fairfield?" he began cautiously.

"Pretty good!"

Okay, that was obviously too subtle. "I mean ... uh ... you and Angela." Vinnie asked again, using a more forthright phrase.

"Oh, ... uh, everything's all right. We're having a good time." Tony wasn't sure where this was leading to. Why was he asking him this?

Philly wanted to stand by Vinnie's side. "Well Tony, is this something serious?" Why not get right to the point?

"What do you mean? Why would you want to know?" Tony was surprised and was still marvelling about Vinnie's question.

"Because we're your friends and we don't want you to make a stupid mistake!" Tiny now threw in. As always, not very carefully worded.

"Stupid mistake? You're lucky you're my friend, otherwise I would ask you to meet me out front! Anyway, this is none of your business." He was beginning to get really angry. He had come all the way from Fairfield to spend a nice, easygoing evening with his buddies and now they were quizzing him about his relationship and he didn't like it. One more question like this and he would be gone.

"Relax, Tony. Come on, you know Tiny. He's not really a master of words ..." Philly darted Tiny a reproving look. "What he tried to say was that we're worried about you."

"Why would you be worried? I'm happier than ever." Tony said, still not mollified.

"Okay, I tell you why we're worried." Vinnie complied. "But promise me you won't get mad."

"Let's see ..." Tony said through gritted teeth. He wasn't willing to give him that promise. So Vinnie tried to choose his words more deliberately and started to tell him what they were concerned about.

"We're worried because we think that your relationship with Angela might not last too long." He swallowed hard and continued. "And it's obvious how much she means to you, so we're afraid that if you take it too seriously you might end up being hurt."

Tony thought he had misheard what Vinnie just said. Were his friends really giving him advice in love matters? They should know that after Marie's death Tony would never give away his heart inconsiderately. That was why it had taken him seven long years until he felt secure enough to start a romantic relationship with Angela. And now that he had taken that hurdle, he couldn't be any more certain that she was the love of his life.

* * *

**THE LADIES**

Angela's friends stuck to their plan and waited until she had her second margarita before Wendy decided to throw the sensitive subject into the ring.

"Well, Angela, you seem to be beaming! How is your housekeeper doing?" 'Oy that sounded a bit too direct', Wendy thought by herself. Angela almost choked on her drink. Where did that come from all of a sudden? She was more than willing to share her bliss with her two best friends. As a matter-of-fact, she had really missed the opportunity to talk with someone about her new relationship with Tony, but the question sounded strange and Wendy's tone of voice was somewhat alarming.

"My housekeeper? You mean Tony?"

"Who else would I mean? Isn't Tony your housekeeper anymore?" Again, Wendy's voice had an odd ring to it. 'Maybe I had already too much wine to talk about this.' she thought in despair. She stared at Isabelle for help. Angela frowned and shook her head in lack of comprehension.

"What sort of question is this? Of course he's still my housekeeper!" Although ... was he still her housekeeper, now that they were a couple? Or was he her boyfriend, cleaning the house? She had to admit that the question wasn't so bad after all and began to realize where this conversation was leading to.

Isabelle started to support Wendy. "Oh come on, Angela, you know what Wendy's trying to ask you. Don't play dumb!"

"I'm not playing dumb. Why don't you ask me directly what you want to know instead of beating about the bush? If you want to know whether I'm happy, I'll tell you."

"So," Isabelle asked directly, as being told, "are you happy?"

"Yes, I am! Very much!" Angela was very assertive and almost shouted at them. She couldn't get rid of the feeling that Wendy and Isabelle had something on their minds they were reluctant to tell her. "Come on, lay it on the line, what's your problem?"

Wendy left it to Isabelle this time to take the lead. She took her glass, smiled at one of the cute Mexican waiters and nervously nibbled some tacos. Isabelle cleared her throat and said "Our problem is that you're diving head-on into a relationship that has absolutely no future." She mentally took cover for the outburst she expected to come. And she was right ...

"Absolutely no future? That's nonsense! Tony and I have been best friends for seven years, we know each other so well. What gives you the idea that our relationship has no future?" Angela was getting very angry and couldn't understand why her friends wouldn't allow her this piece of happiness. After years of trying to hook her to every available man in New York she thought they would be psyched for her once she found Mr. Right - and she most definitely had.


	3. Chapter 3

**Part Two: THE BUDDIES - THE LADIES**

**Chapter Two**

Tony's as well as Angela's friends had begun to lay their cards on the table and had made clear to their respective 'problem child' that this wasn't going to be an evening of laughter only.

* * *

**THE BUDDIES**

"What makes you think our relationship won't last?" Tony was puzzled about the unexpected turn the evening had taken.

"She's ... she's ... uhmmm ..." Philly started but didn't know how to put in words what he wanted to say.

"She's what, Philly?" Tony asked with increasing impatience.

"She's so ... so un-Italian." Philly said hoping that Tony would understand what he meant.

"Un-Italian? What's that supposed to mean?"

Okay, so he had to be more specific. "Well, she's out of the house all day, she doesn't bowl and she can't cook. She just doesn't know how to take care of... uh ... of an Italian man." Philly tried to explain. These were the qualities he was looking for in a woman, why wouldn't Tony?

"What gives you the idea I want to be cared of? I'm able to care of my myself!" Tony still wasn't getting the point. Everything Philly just said of Angela was true, yes, and of course he remembered all the times his buddies as well as Mrs. Rossini had tried to marry him off to some young, attractive Italian girl from the neighbourhood, but why didn't they see what a great woman Angela was? "Guys, would you mind telling me what your real problem is?" Tony wanted to get over with this.

"Come on, Vinnie, you tell him!" Philly felt he had already done his part and wanted him to continue before Tiny blurted out some stupid remark again.

"Oooookay." Vinnie started. Biting his lower lip he asked Tony in a low voice. "Doesn't it bother you that she's out working all day, earning the bread, while you're a college student cleaning the house? I mean, flirting with a loaded babe who buys you a drink once in a while is fine but living with one day in day out in the same house ... Is that what you want your future to be?" Vinnie, like his two friends, couldn't believe that a man's pride wouldn't be injured by an arrangement like that. Tony had always been his role model when it came to Italian masculinity and imagining him being financially dependent on a woman was driving him nuts.

Tony chuckled and shook his head. "Ge'ez, Guys, these are the 90s! I didn't know you were so conservative. And by the way, I'm not going to be Angela's housekeeper forever. Someday I'll be a teacher and later maybe a college professor. How does that sound? And I owe all that to Angela. If it wasn't for her, I would've never even started going to college."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Now Tiny wanted to contribute something to the discussion as well. "Maybe she coaxed you to go to college so she won't have to marry a housekeeper." That was typical Tiny, blurting out just what came to mind without prior censoring.

"You're totally wrong here, my friend." Tony had the feeling he had to defend Angela. "She forced me to go to college because she believed I had it in me. She always sees abilities in me that others - including myself - don't, because she bothers to look. When I first moved to Connecticut, she persuaded me to run for president of the Parents Association, remember? Then, she encouraged me to do that fund-raising project on the billboard, she even believed that I could represent the senior citizens in Washington. Me, a former fish truck driver from Brooklyn!" He then reminded them how she had backed him up with his college assignments, that she had taken over at home when he had his internship, how she'd never complained when dinner wasn't ready because he had spent too much time at the library. Tony had to think about how she'd even dared to tell him once she wouldn't hire him for her agency because of his poor speaking abilities which had made him hang into that public speaking class even more. And of course she had come to listen to the speech he had to give in front of an audience, supporting him with her mere presence. He remembered her sitting in one of those uncomfortable college chairs, smiling at him reassuringly and applauding frenetically afterwards.

Tony's heart began to melt hearing himself enumerating all the wonderful things Angela had been doing for him since he had moved into her house. She had supported him when he had to clear his father's apartment, she had helped him to get his grandfather a post-mortem naturalization and she encouraged him to take Billy as a foster child. All these events had been very important to Tony and all these he had shared with her. And he always knew she did all this in his interest, not in hers. She didn't want to change him, she just wanted him to explore his full potential. Although they had been brought up in different worlds, and hers had been so much more classy, educated and elitist, she had never let him feel second class. She had never made a secret of him being who he was in front of other people. Never had she asked him to play a charade for others, like if he were some successful business man taking her on an advertising banquet - and she had asked him frequently to escort her to such events.

Despite his passionate pleading Tony also felt a slight ache in his heart, like a small pebble stone that keeps bothering you in your shoe. He knew his friends weren't too wrong after all pointing out that Angela was the one making the money for the family whereas it was still uncertain what his economic contribution would be someday in the future. And there was one thing he was absolutely sure about: no matter what kind of job he would ever get, he would never make more money than her. Would he be able to accept that she would always be more successful than him? That she would pay for the house, the car, the vacation? That she would be connected to the fancy business world whereas he would be part of a rather dull alma mater?

Would he be strong enough to endure this for the rest of his life?

* * *

**THE LADIES**

"Why do you think our relationship has no future?" Angela was still a little upset and couldn't understand why her friends wouldn't believe that this was indeed the perfect romance she had been looking for all these years.

"Oh, come on Angela! He's your housekeeper. He's a college student. Not really a good catch!" Wendy tried to point out her doubts that Angela could be happy in the long run with a man of lower social status. When Angela's eyes started to darken with anger at her friend's comment, Isabelle decided to intervene. "What we mean to say is, Angela, that you two have grown up in different universes. Okay, he looks good in a tuxedo, but do you plan to take him to the ballet, to the Country Club, to La Fleur? Don't you think he might feel a bit misplaced? And what do you think your circle of friends and acquaintances might say, let alone your business contacts, if you're married to a man you once hired as your housekeeper?" Isabelle didn't mince her words anymore.

Angela had to swallow hard and stared at the two women in disbelief. She asked herself whether Isabelle hadn't only addressed other people's possible perceptions but also her own. She had never felt herself to be on a higher social level than Tony. She had been born with the proverbial silver spoon in her mouth, she knew. She had lived a privileged life, had been to the most exclusive schools, had visited half the world, her parents had introduced her to art, literature and history and she had enjoyed an education which enabled her to earn enough money to offer her son the same care-free life. Tony's rather humble upbringing had been completely different, she had no illusion about that. All the more she admired Tony for how he had been fighting his way through life. She had always loved to ignite his ambition and push him to take challenges, such as running for president of the PA, because she was convinced he had it in him. From her point of view, Tony had accomplished more in his life compared to his rough starting conditions than she had. And she disliked the people who looked down on him from their high horses just because he wasn't a member of some venerable club.

"I don't care what other people say. If I did I would never let a single man live in my house, not even with his daughter. Do you really think I wasn't aware of all the gossip going on in our neighbourhood since Tony moved in? They all keep thinking we're already having an affair for years, so why bother now?" Angela shrugged her shoulders, emptied her margarita and mouthed the waiter to bring her another one. This would be a tough evening, why not ease the edges of the discussion a little?

Isabelle sighed. 'She's on cloud nine.' she thought. 'It's going to be difficult to reason with her.' But she was willing to go through with what Wendy and she had planned for the evening. For the sake of her friend. She remembered how Angela had suffered after her first true love - Michael - had been shattered. Since then, Isabelle had tried to find her a perfect match, someone who would heal her hurt soul and heart. And as that had turned out to be almost impossible, because Angela had become overly cautious in giving her heart away, Isabelle had introduced her to numerous men who would have been suitable for a nice little affair. Someone to boost her self-esteem and give togetherness and physical satisfaction every human being needs from time to time. And Angela had had a boyfriend once in a while - Geoffrey with a 'G', Christopher, Andy ... - but none of them ever had even been close to becoming a_ true _love. Geoffrey had proposed to her, and Angela had been flattered, but had she been honest with herself from the beginning, she would've never really considered marrying him. It had been Tony back then who finally had to talk her out of it - that should have made Isabelle think already. Not that she didn't like him, she did! He was a decent, loyal and sensitive man and she knew he would never take advantage of his relationship to Angela. But never had she seen a relationship of two people coming from such different worlds last very long, and that was something she wanted to save her friend from.

"Okay, Angela, forget the others. But what about you two?" She looked inquisitively at Angela and there was no doubt she was really serious about this. "Do you think you have enough in common? Don't you think it might be too arduous for him to constantly adapt himself to your world? And don't you think you might get tired someday of defending him all the time? And people will ask, I promise you that. You will be able to read it on their faces. We can wish for a classless society, Angela, but our today's world is not like that. Maybe someday it will, but not as long as we live." Isabelle hated it to sound so realistic and beyond all illusion but she tried to knock some sense into her friend. All she wanted Angela to do was to start thinking ... and she finally succeeded.

Does she really have a point here? Angela was startled this notion suddenly came to her mind. Maybe it wasn't that important to her what Joanne Parker and the rest of her neighbourhood thought about them, but with respect to her agency an untainted reputation was crucial. She had never pondered on the fact that her relationship to Tony could harm the Bower Agency. Could she really acquiesce in this? The agency was her life's work and meant a lot to her. There had been times in her life her work was everything she could hold on to. After her divorce, when her self-esteem had been crushed so much she thought she wasn't worth anything, her professional success had helped her to gather a bit of self-confidence and feel good about herself again. Her work had also served more than once as a distraction from the hardship the unorthodox relationship to Tony was repeatedly giving her: like when he had been on a date with another woman or hadn't answered one of her subtle overtures in the desired way. A life without work was just unimaginable for Angela.

Was her work more important to her than Tony?

* * *

**THE BUDDIES**

"Hey Tone, why don't you grab yourself a girl more like Gabriella Cantenucci?" Philly had arranged a blind date for Tony with her a few weeks earlier and they had spent a quite entertaining evening together, but that was all. There hadn't been a real conversation because Gabriella didn't have anything to say. She wouldn't decide what she wanted to eat and drink but left the choice to him, she wouldn't argue with him about anything instead agreed to everything he said, she wouldn't even tell him where she wanted to go after dinner but followed him where ever he went. He felt like her lord and master. That wasn't the sort of relationship he was looking for - not anymore. Not since he knew Angela.

"A girl from our world ..." Philly continued. "Not some fancy, classy lady who prefers the business section of a paper to the sports section, eats cholesterol-free tofu burgers and thinks you're bad-mannered just because you loosen your waistband after a heavy meal."

"I guess that's why I started to date Kathleen, because I thought a women of my world would be better for me. Dating her was easy - we had the same interests, a similar background and were at the same stage in life. Nobody ever wrinkled his nose about my relationship to her! We had a good time, but ... much as I liked her ... I didn't love her."

"What's there not to love?" Tiny couldn't understand his friend. He had envied Tony for this gorgeous girlfriend who worshipped the ground he walked on. If he had the opportunity to trade his rather dull wife for a girl like Kathleen, he wouldn't hesitate a second.

Tony sighed. How could he make them understand? It took himself seven years to realize that his attraction towards Angela hadn't only been friendship but love, how could they grasp it after a short explanation? Maybe if he compared it to sports they would comprehend. "Well, it's like when you're a regular second baseman on a fairly good team and you get to play at every game because you belong to the best players. You're having a good time and you feel good about yourself, because everybody relies on you and you really push the team forward. You are in relatively secure position and could go on like this for many seasons. And one day, the coach of the league leader knocks at your door and asks you to join his team. You know it's going to be difficult. You won't be this team's top player and you'll sure spend more than one game on the substitutes' bench. You would have to start all over again, like a rookie, to fight for your position in this team and there would be no guarantee you'll succeed, but you're still ready to go because you want to grow as a player. You know that staying with your present team would be nice and comfy but it sure wouldn't be challenging."

"Of course you would transfer to the league leader, Tony. You're an athlete and want to play for the best team, don't you!?" Tiny didn't catch the fact that Tony had used this sports example only as a metaphor for his relationships to Angela and Kathleen.

"That's why I chose to be with Angela instead of Kathleen, Tiny. She challenges me, she pushes me, she wants me to grow as a person. I want to be with her, although I know it won't be easy all the time to be in a relationship with a woman like Angela."

* * *

**THE LADIES**

"What do you tell your business contacts if they sniff at your husband being your ex-housekeeper?" Wendy knew this was a close argument. If she hadn't had Jonathan, the Bower Agency definitely would've been Angela's most valuable treasure.

"I'd tell them it's none of their business whom I'm married to! Whether I marry a housekeeper, a brain surgeon or the King of England doesn't have anything to do with my professional skills. My agency is one of the best in this country - if not _the_ best! And I am an experienced, creative and very successful ad exec no matter whom I'm sharing my bed with!" If she could only be as self-secure in her private life as in her professional life.

"And if there are some clients retreating from your agency because of your private ... uh ... let's call it 'entanglements'?" Isabelle couldn't spare her this nightmare scenario. She wanted her to take everything into consideration. When Angela had fallen in love with Michael, she hadn't thought about anything at all, she had dragged him to the altar right away. Isabelle had been well aware that Michael wasn't a perfect fit because she saw his underlying narcissism and was quite sure this would be causing trouble in their marriage sooner or later. But she had remained quiet and had put a good face on the matter during their wedding. When Angela eventually had told her about the increasing problems she was having with her husband, that he was irresponsible, selfish and inconsiderate, Isabelle had silently blamed herself for having kept her mouth shut. This wouldn't happen again this time.

"So what?" Angela stated short and crisp.

"So what?" Isabelle looked at her bewildered. "_So what?_ It wouldn't bother you at all?" She couldn't believe what she's just heard.

"It always bothers me to lose a client, you know me, don't you? And if I lose a client because I married Tony I'd call it a pity. But do you know how many clients I won because of him? There is not a single passage in his contract where it says he has to learn to cook Japanese to lure Japanese clients into my agency or to stand behind a bar mixing cocktails at my dinner parties. He nonetheless did all of this and much more to support my career. He even sews on a button on my business suit if necessary. Show me another man who would do this for a woman!"

Isabelle had to admit Angela had a point. In this respect, Tony was very unique and the complete opposite to Michael. Michael would have demanded that she sew on his button no matter if she had to postpone an urgent business meeting because of this. She didn't know what else to say.

Wendy had been listening closely and decided it was time to change to another set of arguments.

"Angela, there are so many good-looking, successful, smart business men out there who would stand in line to go out with you and insist to buy you dinner instead of letting _you_ pay the check. What's wrong with those?" Wendy asked a bit confused as that had been the way she had chosen her husband, a somewhat boring but very busy orthodontist who loved her dearly and provided her with all the amenities of an affluent life style.

"There's nothing wrong with them. I married one of those, remember? Michael was good-looking and successful and smart but he wasn't interested in me, I mean _really_ interested. I'm sure he loved me, but for him I was more a decorative part of his life. He never perceived me as an independent person with a life of my own. He expected me to support him and his career, it never came to his mind to subordinate his needs to mine, let alone to my career. He always thought advertising was more like a hobby for me, he never imagined that my job could be as important to me as his was to him. As long as I did what he needed, everything was fine but as soon as I started to fight for my own needs, we were in trouble. And when I said I couldn't follow him into the jungle because of my obligations to Wallace & McQuade, he went nonetheless, leaving me and his son behind. I never wanted another relationship like that, Wendy. And I always thought that there weren't any men who really see a woman on an equal footing - until I met Tony."

Wendy and Isabelle looked at each other, saying nothing. It seemed as if Angela had an answer to every argument they were alleging.

"That's why this relationship means so much to me." Angela concluded. "Although I'm well aware that what other people say might be a burden for us from time to time."


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Sorry, it took me quite a while to write this chapter. I hope, somebody is still interested in how the story continues... There's one more concluding chapter to come and I promise it won't take that long. Thanks once again to 'stayathomemom' for keeping in touch and helping me with my English. Enjoy!**_

**Part Two: THE BUDDIES - THE LADIES**

**Chapter Three**

The inquiries of their friends had left both Tony and Angela mulling over whether they weren't so wrong after all. Were they really meant for each other?

* * *

**THE BUDDIES**

Tony was still a bit lost in his thoughts. Somehow he had always known that money could be a problem in their relationship. It had bothered him once in a while already, for example when Angela had bought him the Jeep. For her, it hadn't been such a big deal, for him it had been the most expensive purchase he ever made. And all the vacations they had made on her purse. She didn't rely on her ex-husband to support her, like so many other women. She really was extraordinary in her financial autonomy. In a way it daunted him a bit, but it mainly impressed him. He had never met such an independent, strong and hard-working woman. He admired the way she held her ground in this relentless business world, how she went out there every morning to face mostly male executives who thought they could make her small just because she was a woman. The women he knew before would totally rely on their husbands in financial matters as well as in organizing their lives - the Gabriella Cantenucci type of women. Finding a husband who cared for them and being a wife and mother would be their goal in life. Marie also was one of that kind. He had loved her dearly with all his heart, but sometimes - now in retrospective - he thought she could have supported him a bit more. For example, when his baseball career had come to an end so abruptly and he hadn't known how to provide for his family. But he had to be fair, they had been a traditional Italian family and he had been responsible for the financial matters, it hadn't been her duty. So he had been very thankful Mrs. Rossini had offered him a job as a fish truck driver. It had never occurred to him then that a wife could also contribute to a family's income. Not until he had been hired by Angela.

"Guys, don't you see what Angela achieves every day? I'm really proud of her. She's intelligent, well-educated and ambitious and doesn't want to waste her abilities by being just a housewife and mother." Tony summarized his thoughts.

"This is going to be your job then - to be the housewife and mother - I suppose?" Philly said sarcastically. "You'll be the man behind the woman's success!" He hated it to be so rude but he didn't want his friend to be like Angela's prince consort.

"She never lets me feel that way. It's a team effort, don't you see that? Everybody does what he does best. And she does her best job in a suit, not in an apron!" Tony defended their division of tasks with vigor. And he wouldn't be the housekeeper forever. After he graduated from college, he would work as a teacher. A job Angela herself had talked him into, telling him she always knew he would do something important. Although both knew that teachers were underestimated, underpaid and under appreciated. She just knew that being a teacher would fulfill him more than being a business executive, that doing something meaningful for society suited him better than chasing the almighty dollar. And she wanted him to be happy with his new career. He loved her for that attitude, she let him be who he was, she didn't want to change him to fit into her world.

"I tell you something really important now and you better listen because I'm not gonna explain it again!" Tony was very agitated. He didn't like the superficial view his friends were having about his relationship with Angela. It was unique in so many ways: because it had taken them seven years to get together although they had been attracted to each other almost from day one, because they had entrusted the other with so many personal affairs over the years, because from the beginning they had lived together as if they were family, and last but not least because they had shared their first kiss as teenagers in summer camp. Compared to all of this, the fact that she made more money than him was of minor importance. Something they would have to deal with, yes, but nothing which could really jeopardize their love.

"People are more than their jobs. Angela is much more than just a working mom and I love her for that. I love her for the way she loves Sam, for the way she helps me raising her. I love her for the way she trusts me when she tells me things she's never told anyone before. I love her for how she tries to fit into my Brooklyn world. Do you know how important it is to her that you like her?" Vinnie, Philly and Tiny looked at each other. No, they hadn't anticipated that yet. "I love her for being there when I need someone to talk to, we can talk about everything ... okay, almost everything. I love her for how she took her life in her own hands after her husband had left her and little Jonathan. I love her for the way she adores the food I cook for her and how she appreciates what I do for the agency. And I most of all love these two sides of her: the tough business woman at work and the sensitive woman at home. I'm just loving everything about her ..."

The entire bar had fallen absolutely silent, a needle dropping to the floor would've been heard. Everyone was looking at Tony as he had become so impassioned in his harangue. A declaration of love like this hadn't been heard in this bar until this day and most of the people were rather used to love professions like "Babe, glad I married you, your veal cutlet's the best!". So the touching speech Tony had given managed to attract the attention of everyone at Marty's Melody Room, but the three men at his table, who had known Tony for ages and knew how secretive he usually was when it came to his feelings, had literally turned to stone. They stared at him saucer-eyed, with jaws dropped and unable to utter a word.

Tiny was the first who tried to say something but "Wow!" was all he could say.

"Okay, I think we understood, Tony. You _are_ serious about her!" Vinnie recapped what had become clear to everybody.

It was Philly who spoke out loud what they all had been thinking during his passionate oration. "Tony, the last time I heard you talk about a woman like this was when you talked about Marie." He had watery eyes and would normally feel embarrassed by it, but not this time. "Man, are you in love! I'm happy for you, Tone. You've obviously found true love a second time and that's more anyone can ask for." He gave Tony a big hug and patted him on the shoulder. "There is nobody on this earth I rather want to see happy than you, my friend."

"Yeah, you're right, Phil. We are all happy for you, Pal!" Vinnie said.

"This calls for another round of beer! Marty, four beers on my tab! We've got something to celebrate!" Tiny shouted through the bar. "Hey, Tone, how about a game of pool? I'll erase that stupid grin from your face and make you weep ..." They all laughed and steered towards the pool table where they had already played hundreds of games.

* * *

**THE LADIES**

Angela thought about how important Tony had become in her life. And she knew he was far more important to her than anything - even her agency. That surprised her. She thought back to the time her career had gone off, when she had still been married to Michael. And she noticed a remarkable difference between her relationship to Michael compared to the one to Tony: during her life with Michael she had to decide between her career and her marriage, but Tony supported her career unconditionally, he knew it was an integral part of her which he would never ask her to neglect because of him. He wasn't jealous but proud of her and realizing this very special trait of their relationship warmed her heart so much she had to smile unwittingly.

Isabelle hadn't noticed Angela's silent contentment, so she asked again, "Angela, won't it be difficult for you to defend your spouse time and again. You don't want the people to look down on you ... and Tony, do you?" she insisted and she probably was right, Angela thought, people might look down on them, but that didn't scare her.

"I don't have to defend him. If people can't see what a wonderful man he is, I can't help them." She said nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulders.

"You can't look through rose-colored glasses for the rest of your life, Angela!" Isabelle told her matter-of-factly.

"I'm not a foolish teenager anymore, Isabelle! I'm not jumping head over heels into a tawdry romance. I've given this relationship so much thought it almost drove me insane. I was ready to love Tony years ago. The way he kept on stepping on the brakes because he felt he wasn't good enough for me made me doubt it would ever happen. I don't need Tony for money or status, I'm an independent woman." She was very pleased with herself to be able to claim this. She hadn't felt very independent right after her divorce. "But I do need him for so many, far more important things. I need him as a surrogate father for Jonathan, first of all. I need him to help me raising him ... and Mother!" They all chuckled thinking of Angela's extraordinary, non-conformist and sometimes even a bit childish mother. "I need him to celebrate with me when I won a new client, and more than that to cheer me up when I lost one. I need him as my soul mate - I can talk to him about everything knowing he would never betray my trust. I need him to make a home out of my house. I need him to teach me to relax and embrace life. I just need to have him in my corner. He makes me feel cherished and loved like never before in my entire life ... Does that sound so odd?"

For some time Angela's question was hanging in the air, unanswered. Her two friends were in awe about this powerful confession. They had never heard Angela talk about a man like this, not even about Michael during their best times.

"No, Angela." Isabelle swallowed hard and looked at Wendy. "Actually, that sounds wonderful! I'm sorry, I guess our view of you and Tony was a bit superficial. Don't think badly of us, we just wanted to prevent you from getting hurt but obviously our concerns were unreasonable. We have always liked Tony, you know that, don't you? But I guess we had no clue your connection to each other was so profound. It seems as if you have looked for and found each other and both of you deserve a happy second marriage after your sad first ones. I'm very happy for you, my dear." She hugged her with deep compassion and was relieved Angela was smiling at her. She obviously wasn't resentful.

"Me too, Angela," Wendy got back from the just listening position, "and I always wanted to have a little Hollywood in my life. And with you and Tony marrying we have 'Pretty Woman' right in front of our noses - only the other way round." Angela shook her head and rolled her eyes about this comparison but had to laugh. She hugged both her friends and felt flattered they cared so much about her. "Another margarita?" she asked them. "On me?"

"No, this calls for the best champagne and it will be on us." Isabelle replied. Wendy choked on some tacos but eventually nodded approvingly. When the glasses were filled, they clinked and Isabelle called a toast. "To you and Tony and happily ever after."

"Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me."

"Uh, Angela?" There was one thing Wendy still wanted to know.

"What?"

"Is it true what people say about Italian men?" She bit her lower lip and looked to the floor.

"What do you mean, Wendy?" Angela asked suspiciously, eyebrows raised.

"Well, they're supposed to be ... uh ... I heard ... uhm ... great lovers." She stared at Angela questioningly, desperate for an answer.

Angela smiled sweetly, which solely could have been an answer, but was eager to incite her friend's fantasy to punish her a bit for her indiscrete curiosity. "Not that I have a huge treasure chest full of experience but ..."

"But?" Wendy was almost fainting out of suspense.

"I never had a better one!" was all Angela said mischievously and left the rest to her imagination.

* * *

**THE BUDDIES**

On their way to the pool table Philly pulled Tony a bit to the side and murmured, "Hey, Tone, how is ... uh ... I mean ... you and her ... let me put it this way: are you two in for a horizontal mambo contest?"

Tony couldn't believe his ears. "What gives you the idea I would tell you? That's absolutely none of your business!"

"Oh, come on, Pal. Let me believe you're still a wild man!" Philly begged, needing a proof of masculinity from his former idol.

"A gentleman never tells! And I - most definitely - am a gentleman!" Tony smiled and that also could have been an answer by itself.


	5. Chapter 5

**Part Three: TONY & ANGELA**

Tony and Angela had both been surprised that their evenings had turned out to be rather a meeting of the 'I'm in a difficult relationship' support group than a leisurely chat among friends who hadn't seen each other in a while. But after their initial resentments both had taken the opportunity to give their relationship profound thought and they had been flattered that their friends cared so much about them to touch such an intimate topic. In the end, defending their relationship in front of their friends had let them once again see how much they loved each other.

* * *

**ANGELA**

Angela had enjoyed the evening with Wendy and Isabelle, although she had felt a bit offended at first that they had doubted Tony was the perfect match for her. But they had a good conversation and telling them what she loved about Tony had shown her once more what a great man he was. Now, she was home and made herself a cup of tea in the kitchen waiting for him. It was the first evening in weeks they had spent apart and she missed him. She asked herself whether he missed her just as much when the kettle started to whistle. She poured the hot water into the cup with the teabag and sat at the kitchen table.

How often had they been sitting together at this very table? She remembered the time she had gotten fired which had brought her world to a halt. She had felt like a failure calling business contact after business contact begging for a job. It had mainly been Tony who talked her into establishing the Bower Agency. He had given her credit for it, she would've never dared to even think of having her own agency. The trust he had placed in her had given her the self-confidence she needed to venture such a big step. And he had been supporting her ever since in building up her business.

She remembered the countless nights they had met in the kitchen by coincidence in search of a midnight snack. These gatherings had often ended in a personal conversation where either of them told the other a childhood story. How often had they discussed teenage problems about Sam or Jonathan and most of the time they had worked out a way to deal with it. And of course she remembered the day he had told her he had slept with Kathleen. That had been one of the worst moments she had ever experienced in this little kitchen. Their relationship had been thouroughly built like a house of cards and with his confession it suddenly had collapsed with a big bang. But that was all behind them. Kathleen was history and although it hadn't been easy to pick up their friendship where Tony had left it when he had first started dating her, it definitely was worth all the struggle. Maybe it had been right after all to let him 'broaden his horizon', Angela thought. In the end, he had found his way into her arms.

* * *

**TONY**

Tony pulled his Jeep into the driveway of 3344 Oak Hills Drive, his home for seven years. When he pictured the house from afar it warmed his heart. It looked so inviting and cozy. The light on the porch was still on; they always left it on until the last resident was home. He wondered whether she was still out because he couldn't spot her Jaguar. Of course he didn't know that after three margaritas and two glasses of champagne Angela had returned home by taxi.

He remembered when he had first approached this house seven years ago, a whining teenager in his van and an uncertain future ahead of him. When the door had opened he was so surprised to find a woman in a pink bathrobe with a towel on her head that he almost forgot what he had planned to say. Mona, who had met him a few days earlier and had talked him into applying for this job, had told him his future boss would be a woman but she had forgotten to mention she looked so cute in a bathrobe ... He had rehearsed the job interview with Samantha, who had played the part of the interviewer, but he couldn't remember a single word at the sight of this unusually dressed but nonetheless very attractive woman. And he had liked the house from the very first moment he set his foot into it. It was cozy, it radiated a warm atmosphere and a family environment. The huge couch had looked comfortable and he had spotted a swinging door where he assumed the kitchen to be. Compared to their apartment in Brooklyn this was like a palace. So he had tried really hard to covince his future boss to hire him. He knew that the fear of loosing this house as his home had also played a part in terminating things with Kathleen. Not only couldn't he think of a future life without Angela being in it, he also couldn't imagine moving out of this house.

He was happy to be back. The evening with his buddies had turned out completely different from what he had expected and he was still marvelling about the fact that Angela - the lady in the pink bathrobe - had been the main topic of their conversation. On the one hand, his friends caring so much to worry about his future pleased him, but on the other hand, it had also annoyed him he had to explain why he had fallen in love with her.

Tony pulled out his keys and opened the front door.

* * *

**ANGELA**

Angela smiled thinking of the turn their joint life had taken since their anniversary celebration at the carnival when she suddenly heard a key in the lock of the front door. She jumped to her feet, almost overturning the hot tea cup, and rushed through the swinging door to welcome him.

* * *

**TONY & ANGELA**

"Hi, Honey!"

"Hello, Beautiful!"

As if to prove to themselves how right this relationship felt for them, they pulled each other into an embrace and shared a passionate kiss. He smiled at her when he pulled away and saw her closed eyes and the appreciative expression on her face.

"Hmmmm." was all Angela could utter.

"Did you miss me?" Tony asked although he knew the answer. She had just shown him with her kiss.

"Very much! How was your evening in Brooklyn?"

"Weird."

"Weird?" Angela was surprised. "Why weird?"

"Well ..." Should he tell her? He knew she tended to have a low self-esteem and that her personal insecurities sometimes got the better of her. Telling her that his friends raised a doubt whether she was the right woman for him might hurt her. And he didn't want anything to darken their relationship which had taken off so effervescently after all these years of suppressing the romantic feelings they had always been having for each other.

"Are you going to tell me?" Angela frowned and looked at him. She was wondering what might have spoiled his evening. Usually, he enjoyed the nights in Brooklyn with his buddies and she expected him to have fun. She was well aware that his life had changed so much after he had moved into her house and that he sometimes missed the easygoing way of life of his younger years. Although he had taken her to the ballet, had gone on a shopping tour with her and had attended a charity auction at the Country Club, she knew deep down in her heart that events like this weren't really his piece of cake. She wanted him to have a retreat from 'her world' and always thought that visiting his old friends in Brooklyn had just that effect on him. If he lost the connection to his buddies there would've be no place for him to recuperate from the rigidity and snobism her world sometimes exudes. She noticed his somewhat troubled face and wanted to know what was bothering him.

"Tony, Honey, what happened tonight? Please, tell me." she insisted.

"Okay, if you really want to know." Tony wasn't sure it was such a good idea to tell her but there wasn't any use either letting her rack her brain about it. "We ... talked a lot about you."

"Me? Why would you talk about me with Tiny, Philly and Vinnie?" Angela couldn't imagine Tony talking with his friends about his love life.

"They wanted to know whether I'm sure the two of us make a such good couple. They think we're too different to be able to make it in the long run." He wanted to give her time to let that sink in and was startled when she started to laugh. "You think that's funny, Angela?"

"No, not funny but really weird. You know why?"

"I've no idea. But maybe you let me in on your insights?" Tony had the feeling she was teasing him.

"Oh Tony. Our friends obviously gave this a lot of thought.", she started with a grin on her face.

"_Our_ friends?" Tony didn't understand what she was talking about. "I thought we didn't have mutual friends."

"No, I mean _your_ friends and _my_ friends. I had the same sort of conversation with Wendy and Isabelle." She giggled. "They also asked me about us, whether I thought our love would last."

"What did you say?"

"What do you think?", she asked him invitingly. She leaned into a kiss and tried to answer him this way.

He grinned. "Ey-oh oh-ey, Angela ... you said that?"

"Tony," Angela became very sincere "you're the best thing that ever happened to me. I'm grateful fate guided you to my door that decisive day seven years ago. Since then, you have enriched my life and made me happier than I've ever been. And I know for sure that I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Tony took a deep breath and cleared his throat. "Wow, I call that a profession of love." He felt very touched and a wave of love for this woman rolled over him.

"I know it won't always be easy," she went on, "but we've been already through so much trouble and we were always able to talk about everything ... okay, almost everything." She looked at him and both knew what she was talking about - Kathleen. "And after seven years of friendship I think I can state that I know you fairly well and I am ready to embark on a life with you." She smiled at him, kissed him on the cheek and laid her head on his shoulder. He embraced her and stroked her hair, with a content smile on his face.

"And you know what, Angela?"

"What?"

"With every fiber of my heart I know this, ..." He gave her another kiss. "... will last forever."

**_FIN_**


End file.
